The present disclosure relates to an eyewash and integral faucet combination utilizing a common support structure but with separate water supplies to insure appropriate water flow, and water temperature, through the eyewash and faucet.
Emergency eyewash stations are mandated by governmental authorities to ensure worker safety, particularly in laboratories, factories, and warehouses where workers may have improper or accidental exposure to harmful chemicals. Conventionally, eyewash stations are positioned separately from sink faucets and require significant floor or deck space.
There are, however, several benefits to having a system which integrates an eyewash with a faucet. Various solutions have been proposed for integral eyewash and sink faucets. Each, however, has limitations. Some proposed solutions couple eyewash attachments to existing sink faucets. Such approaches create a potential risk of slow flow or minimal to zero flow to the eyewash if the water supply to the faucet is reduced or shut off. Also, such devices typically require a user to apply multiple hand movements to actuate the eyewash, which, in an emergency, may not be properly coordinated because of panic associated with the emergency. As such, these types of attachments are not suitable for industrial use. Other proposed solutions require cumbersome installation procedures and significant modification to surrounding areas and supporting structures.
Other prior art approaches to providing eyewash and faucet functions separate faucet handles from the structure supporting the eyewash. One example of such an approach is U.S. Pat. No. 6,385,794, assigned to the owner of this application. However, installation costs associated with the faucet of this patent can be substantial. For example, installation will often require extra penetrations in the deck on which handles for the faucet are mounted and extra piping connecting the faucet to the water supply. These problems are more pronounced in a typical application for the type of faucet-eyewash combination of this invention, i.e., in laboratory settings where the deck is often stone or other difficult to penetrate material. The present invention satisfies the need for an integral eyewash and faucet, utilizing a single deck penetration.